A large industry of rapid service restaurants has evolved with economic advantages over more traditional waitered restaurants. Generally, in such rapid service restaurants permanent food serving plates and utensils are not used since food is served in disposable containers. This relieves the rapid service restaurant from the time and expense of purchasing, using and washing such conventional plates and utensils.
However, the food in the disposable containers of such rapid service restaurants is generally served to the patron on a permanent, reusable tray. Often customers use such trays as food plates as well as a food carrier. The use of trays as food plates, as well as spillage of food and drinks on trays, results in unwanted matter and the contamination thereof. The sanitation practices generally used to clean such trays frequently does not meet higher standards for improved sanitation, and particularly higher standards for low bacterial counts.